ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. race — humankind
  4. mine — for digging
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mug — a face
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — to push
  10. mug — a cup
  11. file — a tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — a contest
  15. bank — of a river
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bank — for money
  19. race — the arms race
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com